This is THE BEST video I've seen on how to setup Deco. Thank you for being so clear and comprehensive (esp. regarding Router vs Access Point modes and also IP passthrough)
THIS IS THE BEST VIDEO I HAVE SEEN SO FAR ON WiFi setup using mesh. Perfect details exactly what most user would need. I kept on getting confused between IP pass through, access point mode , main router , satellite , NATing , double WiFi etc etc watching different videos on UA-cam. But this cleared out everything. I was using double NATing as well as I was not using Ethernet ports I have setup in my new home (which is in every room). Now I used my mesh router as access point plus Ethernet backhaul method and magic happened. I am getting best speed in pretty much entire house. THANKS A LOT MAN.
Thank you for going through the different setups and testing results. I have the TP-Link Deco X60 Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 system and AT&T BGW210, but same exact GUI for either product as in your video. Very helpful! Thanks again!
I'm so happy I found your video. We have been having trouble gaming since we bought our TPLink mesh system and using it with att fiber, but I tried everything. The only thing I hadn't done was your section on making TPlink the router instead of att. Thank you for solving our problems!!!
I had been wondering about having a wifi mesh set up at my home & had been shying away from it because of double NATing issues. Your video has confirmed me about a method (mesh router as access points, all connecting to modem on wired backhaul) for which I am truly grateful to you.
If using all units as access points (I have a three-pack of the BE63 units) do you also recommend disabling the ATT router’s wifi? Seems like an obvious “yes” but thought I’d ask thanks for the video👌
Thanks for the video. I've seen other creators who also turn off the firewall functions of the At&T gateway, claiming it slows down the system.. I figure in IP-passthrough mode, the AT&T firewall has no function. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for the comment. Once you use IP pass through, it should deactivate the AT&T firewall automatically. Here is a reference from AT&T website: www.att.com/support/smallbusiness/article/smb-internet/KM1188700/
This was incredibly helpful, thank you. I used setup #3, and I’m a little confused still and was hoping you could clarify. In the video it sounds like this setup is using AT&T’s router and the Deco’s use that signal and send that between each other. This is what I was hoping to achieve, since the AT&T’s gateway has better performance than the Decos. However, the Deco is still creating its own separate WiFi network. I ended up following the instructions you made in other comments saying to turn the WiFi setting off of on the AT&T gateway. I’m getting better wifi coverage throughout the house with the Decos, but slightly slower speeds using the Deco. So to clarify, what exactly does setting to access point do if I’m still just using the Deco’s WiFi instead of AT&T’s gateway? Is there a benefit that I’m missing? My original intent was to use the Gateway’s router in conjunction with the Decos all on the same WiFi, but it seems like I’m still using the Deco’s wifi in the end.
Are you able to connect each deco directly to the gateway (aka Ethernet backhaul)? This would be the fastest. If not, then the deco units would use their own separate Wi-Fi signal to communicate with each other, which could be slower. One way to improve the speed is to place the Deco units closer to each other.
This video was so helpful! I’ve had the hardest time setting this up to work efficiently. You’ve answered so many of my questions. Thanks for taking the time to make this video! Do you have any idea why all of my connected online devices aren’t showing in the app? I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong🤪
Very helpful video. Thank you for making this. I have got a some quick questions for you. 1.) Which set-up do you prefer? A.) ATT Gateway as Router + Main Deco as AP? B.) ATT Gateway (Router disabled / IP Passthrough) + Main Deco as Router? Did you find any advantage of 1 set-up over the other (especially speedwise)? 2.) My current set-up is ATT Gateway (Router enabled / Wifi off) + Main Deco (Router mode). Not sure if I have double-NAT (probably have) but no problems with my gaming. I do plan on enabling IP-Passthrough after finding your video though, just to make sure I have no interference at all. Thank you for your time.
1) I personally use A), speedwise both are about the same. Both ways would work well so it’s just personal preference. 2) Some games need to verify your device’s IP address. If you have double NAT, your device IP may look different from what the game server can see, then can’t pass the verification process. If you are not experiencing connection problem with your game, then don’t need to worry about it. But if you have issue in other games in the future, then need to enable the IP pass through.
@@randomhomegadgetsthank you for your response. I did the IP passthrough over the weekend and it worked well. Thank you! I was curious though with your set-up (Option A). I know the process of how to set the Main Deco as an Access Point w/ its wifi active. If I use the ATT Gateway as the router, I need to turn off its wifi network, correct?
If you use ATT gateway as router and Deco as access point, you don’t have to turn off ATT gateway’s wifi. If you use the main Deco as router, then it’s better to turn off ATT gateway’s wifi.
Really well structured video, but something crucial I didn't catch - how far is Location 2 from Location 1 when you tested wireless backhaul? 10ft? 30ft? 90ft? Is it clear line of sight or through a brick wall? What are the conditions? Thanks.
Thanks for the comment! the distance between location 1 and 2 was about 15 feet with a wooden wall (wood studs with sheet rock over) in between. Location 1 and location 3 was about 30 feet apart with 1 wooden wall and a stucco wall (wood studs, sheet rock, heat insulation material, and plaster stucco) in between.
Thank you for this great video. Your effort is highly appreciated. I have a question thought. Is there a difference whether you connect all nodes with wires directly to the router (WiFi off) or have one node connected to the router and the rest of the nodes connected to it via a switch?
Sorry for the late reply. There should not be any big difference on speed as long as all the nodes are connected with Ethernet wires. For your second method the main deco can be set at either router mode or access point mode. For the first method, the main deco can only be access point mode. Basically if you want the main deco to be at router mode, the secondary deco nodes need to be connected behind the main deco.
Great video but I have a couple of questions, hope you can answer them. Thanks in advance. 9:20 in access point mode, can I have the swith first? (router - swith - main deco - secondary decos) Can i just plug all decos to swith? Also, if I have my decos in access point mode, do they automatically extend my original home wifi or they get a different name and password at initial setuo? I have lots of devices and don't want to reconnect them. 12:10 do we only disable at&t home wifi if we set main deco as router or does it apply if we have them as access point?
Yes you can do router-switch-decos. It's shown at 9:23 The deco doesn't automatically extend the original home wifi, need to use the Deco app to setup the wifi. You can set it up with the same wifi name and password so you don't need to reconnect all the devices. I disable the at&t home wifi to avoid potential interference between the att wifi and the deco wifi. It can be applied to either router mode or access point mode. But in reality, if it's a hassle for you, you don't need to do that. The interference should be minimal.
@@randomhomegadgets Thanks, I set it up in router mode to try the coverage but also my ATT gateway is still broadcasting its own WiFi. I can't decide to disable/passthrough with ATT gateway and just use the mesh or use these are APs...?
Great explanation and visuals that is truly appreciated. I have a specific question I wasn't able to find an answer online, wondering if you could give some insights.... My situation is that in the place I live, the room where the ISP gateway is located is not ideal to place a wireless router (because it has so many walls around it / it's in the laundry room), however most rooms in the house have wired connection, so my idea and where I would appreciate your feedback is that I was thinking of: 1- Use my old netgear router and connect it to the ISP gateway (and turn off wireless mode) 2- use the tp-link deco x86/AX3600 (or any other mesh system) in each room where there's wired connection (to the netgear router) and set them up in AP mode (The assumption is that the ISP gateway can't be used in router mode, I'll need to verify this) Ideally I would've used the main deco as the router, but the room where the gateway is in is just a terrible place to put a wireless router and I would like to have 3 APs around the house, hence why I'm thinking of using a netgear router in front of the 3 deco units. I know this setup (using netgear router to front the deco units) pretty much kills the possibility of wireless backhaul (which I'm ok with). That was a long message, hope it made sense, and again I appreciate any insights of how to do things better.
Does your ISP gateway have enough ports to directly wire all the deco units? if so, that would be the easier setup. If not, then what you are describing is trying to use your old Netgear router as a network switch. You should be able to disable the Netgear router's router function and wifi function then it makes it a network switch. So the ISP gateway is still the router, the Netgear router act as a switch, then all deco units as APs.
@@randomhomegadgets tyvm for the response, to answer your question I'm fairly sure the answer is that the ISP gateway only has one port and acts as the modem, the reason i was thinking of connecting the Netgear is because i thought that i still needed the router which i don't think (might be wrong here) the gateway is set up to do (will double check this). I'll play with it and if the gateway also acts as the router then i can just put an unmanaged switch there instead of the Netgear, i think that would be even simpler. But in the case that the gateway is strictly a modem, do you think there is an issue with putting the Netgear unit on front of the deco units?
Great video. I'm wanting to install a mesh network to my CenturyLink fiber optic gateway. I assume I can use either Deco Router mode wireless or Deco access point mode wireless.
I'm glad I found your video. In my case, I only have a single Deco unit to use as an access point. Could you help me with the questions below? 1. Am I correct to think that an access point is just extending the coverage, thus all devices should be auto-connected to it if the signal is better? 2. I would like to have only one internet network with the same SSID and password as my existing network so I don't have to reconnect everything. My ATT gateway shows 2.4 and 5 Ghz channels. Which name should I change the Deco unit to? Or should I name both 2.4 and 5 Ghz channels under the same name as well as the Deco unit. Because the Deco should be able to direct each device to their compatible band? 3. Should I turn off the ATT network? Thank you
The cleanest way to set it up would be turn of ATT gateway WiFi and name the Deco WiFi exactly the same as your previous WiFi. Another way to do it would be set up a 5G and a 2.4G WiFi separately in deco, but make sure to name it EXACTLY the same as the ATT gateway WiFi (including the annotation of 5G or 2.4G if it’s shown in the Wi-Fi name). In Deco you can set up one WiFi name with both 5G and 2.4G. Deco will automatically select the appropriate one to connect to your device. In Deco you can also set up a WiFi name with 5 G only or 2.4G only.
@@randomhomegadgets I have a Deco XE75 pro, which does not allow me to create 2 separate names for each band. I think I would have to create one name for both bandwidths on the Deco and manually reconnect all devices since I have them connected to each wifi from the ATT gateway. Thank you
Great video! Quick q - I want to extend my wifi coverage upstairs in an old home. If I use the Ethernet backhaul, do I need to connect each deco device to Ethernet, or just the first device, and the others can be setup wirelessly? Trying to avoid having to run Ethernet cable upstairs if I can avoid it.
Awesome. Thanks for help, but I have a question about this. If you do the IP Passthrough, do you also need to do the Access Point step? Or can you do just IP Passthrough step? The reason I ask is because Deco App is saying leave set in Router mode, in order to use the HomeShield feature. Again awesome video, extremely helpful!
If you do the IP pass through, then just need to leave the Deco in router mode. Because the att gateway won’t perform router function anymore once you use ip pass through
@@randomhomegadgets good to know. Thanks again for your help. Truly both Deco and AT&T should just put links to your video on their products and websites. And pay you for giving better advice than them 😁
Hey there. Great explanations on your system and setups. I have question, though. How do you actually setup the ethernet backhaul? Did you plug in the ethernet cable all across the house from router unit to satellite unit?
Thanks for the comment. Yes, Ethernet backhaul means physically connecting the Ethernet cable to the satellite units. It may not be feasible for everyone depends on the physical layout of your home. In newer homes, usually there are prewired Ethernet outlets, which make it much easier to use Ethernet backhaul.
@@randomhomegadgets ah that makes sense. In Malaysia we still dont have full broadband coverage across the country, let alone having prewired Ethernet outlets even in new homes. Anyway, keep on sharing, my guy.
Hi there- thanks for the video. I dont think I have access to connecting ethernet backhaul for the secondary device, so I'm trying to decide between the router mode (with IP passthrough) v Access Point. It looks like the access point has slightly better connectivity for location 3, however which of the two methods do you think is easier/more reliable? Also, for the last step around disabling the gateway wifi, is that only if we dont want to manually update the remaining devices? Seems like there are a lot of nuances that can affect security/ need for ethernet etc if we disable the wifi network.
Honestly the speed for the router mode and the access point mode are very similar if you use wireless back haul. I personally use the access point mode and let ATT gateway do its routing. Disabling the gateway wifi is to prevent interference with the Deco wifi in locations where they overlap. You don't have to disable the gatway wifi, just be aware that there may be minor delay when a device switching between the gateway wifi and the deco wifi.
If you use the deco as the router, then should turn on ip pass through. You don’t have to turn off wifi but there might be interference. If you use the deco as access point, then don’t have to turn on the ip pass through.
Hello, thanks for a great visual explanation. I have a question regarding the connections: evidently, the first unit has to be hardwired to the modem, correct, but can you hook up the second unit via ethernet and the third unit via WiFi? Thanks!!
Hi Antonio, thanks for the comment. Yes the 1st unit (main deco) needs to be connected to the modem directly. The 2nd and 3rd units can be connected via ethernet cable or wifi. They can be mixed and matched, you can connect one to ethernet cable and the other one to wifi.
@@randomhomegadgets Not only yo take the time to make these amazing and informative videos, but also to answer any question your viewers may have... Mate, thank you!!
I'm glad that you like the video. As far as I know, Deco series can only have one VLAN. If you want multiple VLAN, the Netgear Orbi would be a better choice for you: amzn.to/3JOuTBW
Thanks for the video this is great! If I use the main deco unit as an access point do I still need to change the wifi names and deactivate my at&t network or can I leave it as is
it seemed like I had to use the Deco as the main router so i turned the wifi off the at&t router. Deco wouldn't let me put the name of the deco router as the same as my home one so I wonder if that caused issues. I ended up changing my home router name to something else, changing the deco router to my original router name and then deactivated at&T router
Yah if you use both Deco and the AT&T gateway as router, and both give out Wi-Fi with the same name, then can cause problem with both Wi-Fi network clashing each other.
I tried that and it didn't seem to work for some reason, maybe I had it connected to the wrong Ethernet slot on the router but the WiFi wasn't using the access points to increase the speed. As soon as I connected to the deco directly it seemed to work
If you are in an area with overlapping signal with the Deco and the AT&T router, one signal would be faster than the other. Initially the speed maybe unstable since your device may connect to the lower speed Wi-Fi. But give it about a day or so, the mesh system will figure out itself and connect your device to the faster speed Wi-Fi.
Backhaul will work perfect with a unnamed switch plugged it into the main router , however is better to plug just the switch first into the main deco , after plug second and reboot it , sometimes it doesn’t recognize the Ethernet so just unplug the AC power of the second unit and when is finished rebooting will appear connected as backhaul
My house has prewired ethernet cables from one central location to all the rooms. If you don't have prewired cables, then need to run cables in between rooms to connect the Deco units.
Based on your speed test, why would one ever use router mode over access point mode? If I have two separate areas in my home that I want to improve signal, I could just get 2 Deco units and use the Gateway as the router, vs getting 3 Deco units and using one in router mode, right? Hopefully my question makes sense. Very helpful video!
The benefits of using the Deco as router are features such as parental control, limit speed to certain device etc. To improve speed, the main factor is not router va access point mode. The main factor is Ethernet vs wireless backhaul. The Ethernet backhaul is much faster. To improve signal (more bars on the wireless icon), all you need is moving the Deco unit closer to the area you need.
Thanks for the video. I just picked up a similar mesh system at Costco to combat some Wi-Fi dead spots in our 3-level condo. My AT&T gateway is an older model than the one you showed and my Deco Mesh system is the AX5300. What I'm confused about though is whether I should set my AT&T gateway to router mode or access point mode. My set up as it exists right now is that I have the AT&T gateway on the 3rd floor in a data closet. It's connected to powerline adapters (TP-link) that supply an ethernet connection to a smart TV and Xbox console on the 2nd floor, and a desktop computer and 2nd Xbox console on the bottom level. Ideally I'd like to keep my powerline adapters doing their thing and just use the mesh system to boost my Wi-Fi coverage on the 2nd and bottom floors. I don't see any other option than to use a wireless backhaul. I do have ethernet drops on the 2nd and bottom floors, but my understanding is that I would need to physically run a cable from the main deco unit which would be on the third floor down to the 2nd and bottom floors. Also, do you know if disabling the Wi-Fi on the AT&T Gateway would interfere with the wireless set-top box I have for the TV on the 3rd floor bedroom? I think I read somewhere that the Wi-Fi signal for the U-Verse set top box is on a separate dedicated Wi-Fi channel. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi there, I think the best set up for you would be setting AT&T gateway to router mode, connect all the ethernet drops directly to the AT&T gateway (you may need to use a ethernet switch if you run out of ethernet port at the AT&T gateway, set all the Deco units as assess point mode, and directly connect the Deco units to the Ethernet drops. Check the set up diagram at 9:25. As for the U verse TV receiver, I believe you need to connect it to a dedicated AT&T wireless assess point via it's own wifi, and that wireless assess point connects directly to the gateway with ethernet. So I turning off the wifi on the gateway itself should not interfere with the TV receiver.
@@randomhomegadgets thank you. So, if I understand this correctly, the deco units would be just boosting my already existing WIFi network? Or would this be a new network? I just want to avoid double NAT.
@@randomhomegadgets Alright, sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to screw this up. When I'm running through the TP Link App set up, I get to the part where it wants me to name and give a password for the network. Do I just do a temporary one for now, get it set up and THEN switch it to access point mode? Or do I give it the same name/password as my existing network straight from the get go? Also, since there are going to be 3 total deco units, do I add all three THEN switch them to access point mode, or add each one at time, switch modes, and move onto the next one? Or does that even matter?
Thank you for this video. I purchased the deco xe75 and tried connecting it to my AT&T fiber router but the speeds were not more than 200mbps. Without the Deco I am getting 400 or so. So I also tried using the Netgear ORBI RBK853 model but my max speeds were 300 mbps. I have a 1gbps fiber connection. I tried to reset the AT&T router to factory settings, turned off wi-fi, also tried out the pass-through option and setting the AP mode but nothing seems to work. Could you tell me what else I could be doing wrong here? Another interesting find. When I connect a regular wifi-ranger extender I get speeds around 500.
Hi Paresh, the Deco XE 75 should be able to support speed up to 5400mbps. I think the first step of trouble shooting is to connect only 1 Deco to the AT&T fiber gateway directly via Ethernet cable, set up a separate wifi, just use the default router mode, and test the speed. If the speed is low, then there's something wrong with either the Ethernet cable or the Deco. Another consideration is that the Deco may need some extra time to "warm up" before it gets the best speed. So maybe try checking the speed half an hour after setting up. Also make sure there's no unintended speed limit setting on the AT&A gateway or the Deco.
@@randomhomegadgets Thank you for the instructions. I did try some of those steps and still the same issue. I also tried the Netgear RBK853 which is supposedly even better but with both of these the speeds were the same. On checking the main network speeds, it does show as 1gbps but speeds over wifi is around 350mbps from the mesh wifi with just literally one device connected. I even went as far as literally unplugging every other IOT devices and had only one laptop connected to the mesh system network. Even troubleshooted with the At&t support and they were also surprised with this. Let me try to just have the mesh network run for a day and see if there is any improvements.
When the units are in AP mode, do they still understand how to communicate with each other for wireless backhaul? For example, could the unit in location 3 talk to the unit in location 2 or does it have to have a direct communication path back to unit in location 1?
Hi there, in AP mode, the units will still connect to each other via wireless backhaul. It will connect to the one that’s closest to make the mesh. So if unit 3 is closer to unit 2 than unit 1, it will connect to unit 2.
Thanks for the comment. The speed I got was from AT&T optical fiber, much better than DSL. Maybe check if you have cable provider such as Xfinity, or 5G internet from mobile phone providers.
I have a Deco M5 and the ATT BGW210. Will these same instructions work? My router is downstairs and my bedroom upstairs the speeds are awful. What would the best set up be? Deco in router mode wireless backhaul or Deco in access point mode wireless backhaul?
Do you have Ethernet cable for wired backhaul? That would be the best. If you do wireless backhaul. Either router mode or access point mode would be ok. Try to put one unit in between downstairs router and your bedroom, then put one more unit in your bedroom
I’m following your steps but with my Orbi mesh system. I plan to change the main Orbi from router to AP mode, but I’m curious about naming them the same (gateway and the Orbi mesh). Should I disable the wifi of the att gateway before changing the mesh name to match the original wifi and then turn the wifi back on?; or does the gateway wifi have to stay off in order for this setup to work?
Instead of connecting deco to At&t gateway , can I connect the gateway to a switch and then connect the main deci router in a room where I have cat5 drop in port?
So you got the best speed using AT&T gateway as main router and the deco as hardwire access point? For this method you don't need to change the ip pass though?
Yah you do need to manually set it up. In the Deco app you may setup the Wi-Fi with the same name and password with the original Wi-Fi from the AT&T gateway.
For the method 3. The ATT gateway is in router mode, not pass through. Basically you need one of the device to be a router, either the ATT gateway or the main Deco. If you set both of them in router mode, then you get the double NAT problem.
I’m gonna do the IP pass through for my ATT gateway. Do I turn off the WiFi before or after the Deco setup? And do I need to do the access point step where I set the deco’s to that or leave them at default as routers?
@@randomhomegadgetssetup went fine but my secondary deco won’t recognize the Ethernet connection. I’m trying to connect some security cameras but I get no connection.
To have the same wifi name and password dor the whole system, the wifi at the gateway must be off as you said, and I have to plug in one deco by ethernet cable to the gateway to able to get the signal. Please confirm. And is there anyway to have the same wifi name and password without disable the wifi of the gateway
You may keep the ATT gateway wifi and use the same name in the Deco wifi. However when your device at is at the wifi range with both of them at the same time, there might be interference that affects the speed. You may try to keep both wifi open and check the speed. If there’s no major delay, then you don’t have to turn off the ATT gateway wifi
Thanks for the comment. That’s good to know. Somehow I was not able to, maybe my setting was wrong. It’s good to prepare direct ethernet access to the ATT gateway just in case wifi doesn’t work.
For a 2 floor house, what is the best set up? AT&T router is on the first floor. However, the gaming room (PS5) is on the second floor. I don't have ethernet cables on the second floor. Would it be something like AT&T Router -> connect ethernet cable to main Deco (access point) -> connect secondary method via wifi. Is that good enough so that the PS5 can have an ethernet cable using the secondary Deco?
Yah that’s the only way since you don’t have Ethernet cable to the second floor. The speed really depends on how far away the main deco and the secondary deco. The closer the better
I finally got my tp links but have a question, I don't have any laptops with ethernet port so I will be cut off when turning of wifi as you said at the end but if I switch my settings on at&t to make deco into router to prevent double nat will it still give me wifi for me to be able to turn off my at&t wifi or will it still be turned off?
Question for those who have this setup in 2024. My Internet Service Provider is Verizon Fios. I have their 5G Router. I wanted to know if I plan on getting the TP Link Deco shown in this video. Do I still have to pay for my Fios Router? I guess what I'm asking is if this is a replacement for your router, or is this Mesh network setup is suppose to work WITH your current Router.
The Verizon 5G router has the combine function of receiving 5G cellular signal to get internet, and the router function of routing internet connection to different devices. The Deco is just a router and mesh network, but cannot receive 5G cellular signal. So you will still need to use the Verizon 5G router, you can add the Deco to make a mesh network.
I did the access point mode and finally everything once again is showing connected to my AT&T router rather than my decos. However, I’m using AT&T’s VPN option and it doesn’t seem to be working to mask the IP of the chosen devices. When I activate VPN on certain devices and then go to the WhatisMYIP internet page, it still shows my home IP address. Is there a reason this is happening? How do I get the AT&T VPN to work?
It shouldn’t be the problem of the deco units since they are just acting as access point. The actual IP assigning/masking is still from your AT&T router. Try to plug a device directly to the AT&T router and see if the VPN works.
The Deco X68 3 pack is sold in Costco. It’s out of stock right now but will show up when it’s back. There a newer version currently on Costco: www.costco.com/tp-link-deco-axe5300-wi-fi-6e-tri-band-whole-home-mesh-wi-fi-system%2c-3-pack.product.100847833.html
I have a main , secondary & third deco. I wanted to change to access point mode. From Router Setting-> Advanced ->Operation Mode. I changed to access point mode. How do I know changes have been made to the Main Deco instead of secondary or third Deco? It will automatically search for the main Deco & make necessary changes itself? Or the changes applies for all 3 Deco instead of only one (Main Deco) Thanks.
That’s a great question. Yes, the Deco app will only change the main Deco unit to access point mode. Technically speaking, when the main Deco unit is at router mode, the secondary and third Deco units are by default already set to access point mode. So when you change the main Deco unit to access point mode, the other Deco units don’t need to change at all.
For method 3 where the Deco is in AP mode, if I still want to have the same wifi SSID?PW as my main gateway router, can I name them the same without having to create a separate SSID/PW for the Deco units because AP mode effecitvely disables the double nat from happening? Currently, my AP mode deco that is connected with the gateway has different SSID/PW, but I want them to handoff to one another if possible?
You can use the same SSID/PW. It won't cause the double NAT issue. But I would suggest that once you change the Deco SSID/PW to the same one as your gateway router, then disable the gateway router's wifi. Sometimes your devices (such as your phone) may get confused when there's 2 of the same SSID and don't know which one to connect to.
Follow up question, if I am using method 3 and using the first Deco as the access point, do I still need to have my ATT Gateway in IP pass through mode?
So I did end up getting the xe75pro 3 pack this past weekend, my speeds around the house on wifi have improved. My only concern is my wiring set up, so I have the main fiber connection coming into the att bgw320, previously I had two att wifi 6 extenders I have one cat 6 line running from the 320 to another room in my home where I have a switch. I want to use over a gig speeds but im having a hard time as atts gateway only has one 10 gig port which I have going into the main deco 2.5gig port but my only issue is I still have a ethernet run into my other room where I want the secondary deco but I would have to use the 1 gig port when I need over a gig so in AP mode could I put a switch between the 320 and main deco but have my secondary deco hardwired into the same switch and the third deco will link up to the secondary hardwired deco. Would this work? I would like to know beforr buying a 2.5 switch. I would also use another 2.5 switch before the second deco
So if I'm going to connect my console up via ethernet. Would I need to set one of thr sub deco as eth back heal? Or Is that just for connecting to the main deco unit?
@Random Home Gadgets unfortunately that won't be an option. I can only do wireless backhaul. That's why I'm getting these for the ability to do wireless through the house. From your test I see it might be best for me to use router mode rather that AP mode?
@@randomhomegadgets but why!? providers around the globe installing their routers able to do both and then I have to decide whether I should use their router's wifi or connect my own router to make two levels network and having lots of problems with port forwarding and making my Nas to be available through all those gateways
It’s about WiFi range, the ISP gateway/router has its own WiFi but may not be able to cover all the rooms in your house. So to improve the Wi-Fi coverage you can either add WiFi extenders or set up a mesh network
This is THE BEST video I've seen on how to setup Deco. Thank you for being so clear and comprehensive (esp. regarding Router vs Access Point modes and also IP passthrough)
Thank you for your kind comment :)
True
THIS IS THE BEST VIDEO I HAVE SEEN SO FAR ON WiFi setup using mesh. Perfect details exactly what most user would need. I kept on getting confused between IP pass through, access point mode , main router , satellite , NATing , double WiFi etc etc watching different videos on UA-cam. But this cleared out everything. I was using double NATing as well as I was not using Ethernet ports I have setup in my new home (which is in every room). Now I used my mesh router as access point plus Ethernet backhaul method and magic happened. I am getting best speed in pretty much entire house. THANKS A LOT MAN.
Thanks for your kind comment. I'm glad that it's helpful for you :)
Dude. Great video and bless you for adding the part about the double NAT. That literally saved me so much time.
Glad it helped! I hope you have a smooth set up for your wifi network!
Thank you for going through the different setups and testing results. I have the TP-Link Deco X60 Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 system and AT&T BGW210, but same exact GUI for either product as in your video. Very helpful! Thanks again!
Thank you for your comment. I'm glad that it's helpful for you :)
Glad to hear. I’ll be setting mine up shortly and I’m glad to know that I have the same setup as you!
the Access Point information was a game changer. I did the same tests, upload speed 11 and 2nd test 85!
That’s great speed! I’m glad that you find it helpful :)
awesome video, clarified so much confusion especially about double NAT which causes unforeseen issues & also speed impact. really appreciate it
Glad it was helpful :)
I'm so happy I found your video. We have been having trouble gaming since we bought our TPLink mesh system and using it with att fiber, but I tried everything. The only thing I hadn't done was your section on making TPlink the router instead of att. Thank you for solving our problems!!!
Glad that I could help :)
I had been wondering about having a wifi mesh set up at my home & had been shying away from it because of double NATing issues. Your video has confirmed me about a method (mesh router as access points, all connecting to modem on wired backhaul) for which I am truly grateful to you.
Thank you for you kind words. I’m glad that it’s helpful for you :)
Thank you for this video! I never leave comments but feel obliged here. This answered all my questions for setting up my X20's with the AT&T gateway.
Thanks for your support. I’m glad that it’s helpful for you :)
Great video, you answered all the scenarios I was curios about in my home.
Thanks! I’m glad that it’s helpful :)
Thank you for helping me (a networking illiterate) set this up 😂 ❤ I almost gave up.
Glad I could help! :)
This is the best video around this subject. Amazing job.
Thanks for your kind comment :)
If using all units as access points (I have a three-pack of the BE63 units) do you also recommend disabling the ATT router’s wifi? Seems like an obvious “yes” but thought I’d ask thanks for the video👌
I would say yes due to the potential interference between the ATT WiFi and the deco WiFi.
@@randomhomegadgets smart, thank you 👌
Best video I’ve found for step by step
I'm glad that you like it. Please share the video with your friends :)
Thanks for the video. I've seen other creators who also turn off the firewall functions of the At&T gateway, claiming it slows down the system.. I figure in IP-passthrough mode, the AT&T firewall has no function. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for the comment. Once you use IP pass through, it should deactivate the AT&T firewall automatically. Here is a reference from AT&T website: www.att.com/support/smallbusiness/article/smb-internet/KM1188700/
@@randomhomegadgets Thanks for the link. Cheers!
This was incredibly helpful, thank you.
I used setup #3, and I’m a little confused still and was hoping you could clarify.
In the video it sounds like this setup is using AT&T’s router and the Deco’s use that signal and send that between each other. This is what I was hoping to achieve, since the AT&T’s gateway has better performance than the Decos.
However, the Deco is still creating its own separate WiFi network.
I ended up following the instructions you made in other comments saying to turn the WiFi setting off of on the AT&T gateway. I’m getting better wifi coverage throughout the house with the Decos, but slightly slower speeds using the Deco.
So to clarify, what exactly does setting to access point do if I’m still just using the Deco’s WiFi instead of AT&T’s gateway? Is there a benefit that I’m missing? My original intent was to use the Gateway’s router in conjunction with the Decos all on the same WiFi, but it seems like I’m still using the Deco’s wifi in the end.
Are you able to connect each deco directly to the gateway (aka Ethernet backhaul)? This would be the fastest. If not, then the deco units would use their own separate Wi-Fi signal to communicate with each other, which could be slower. One way to improve the speed is to place the Deco units closer to each other.
This video was so helpful! I’ve had the hardest time setting this up to work efficiently. You’ve answered so many of my questions. Thanks for taking the time to make this video! Do you have any idea why all of my connected online devices aren’t showing in the app? I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong🤪
Did you use the router mode or access point mode? Also the device not showing on which app? The AT&T app or the Deco app?
Very helpful video. Thank you for making this.
I have got a some quick questions for you.
1.) Which set-up do you prefer?
A.) ATT Gateway as Router + Main Deco as AP?
B.) ATT Gateway (Router disabled / IP Passthrough) + Main Deco as Router?
Did you find any advantage of 1 set-up over the other (especially speedwise)?
2.) My current set-up is ATT Gateway (Router enabled / Wifi off) + Main Deco (Router mode). Not sure if I have double-NAT (probably have) but no problems with my gaming.
I do plan on enabling IP-Passthrough after finding your video though, just to make sure I have no interference at all.
Thank you for your time.
1) I personally use A), speedwise both are about the same. Both ways would work well so it’s just personal preference.
2) Some games need to verify your device’s IP address. If you have double NAT, your device IP may look different from what the game server can see, then can’t pass the verification process. If you are not experiencing connection problem with your game, then don’t need to worry about it. But if you have issue in other games in the future, then need to enable the IP pass through.
@@randomhomegadgetsthank you for your response.
I did the IP passthrough over the weekend and it worked well. Thank you!
I was curious though with your set-up (Option A). I know the process of how to set the Main Deco as an Access Point w/ its wifi active. If I use the ATT Gateway as the router, I need to turn off its wifi network, correct?
If you use ATT gateway as router and Deco as access point, you don’t have to turn off ATT gateway’s wifi. If you use the main Deco as router, then it’s better to turn off ATT gateway’s wifi.
Really well structured video, but something crucial I didn't catch - how far is Location 2 from Location 1 when you tested wireless backhaul? 10ft? 30ft? 90ft? Is it clear line of sight or through a brick wall? What are the conditions? Thanks.
Thanks for the comment! the distance between location 1 and 2 was about 15 feet with a wooden wall (wood studs with sheet rock over) in between. Location 1 and location 3 was about 30 feet apart with 1 wooden wall and a stucco wall (wood studs, sheet rock, heat insulation material, and plaster stucco) in between.
Thank you for this great video. Your effort is highly appreciated. I have a question thought. Is there a difference whether you connect all nodes with wires directly to the router (WiFi off) or have one node connected to the router and the rest of the nodes connected to it via a switch?
Sorry for the late reply. There should not be any big difference on speed as long as all the nodes are connected with Ethernet wires. For your second method the main deco can be set at either router mode or access point mode. For the first method, the main deco can only be access point mode. Basically if you want the main deco to be at router mode, the secondary deco nodes need to be connected behind the main deco.
Great video but I have a couple of questions, hope you can answer them. Thanks in advance.
9:20 in access point mode, can I have the swith first? (router - swith - main deco - secondary decos)
Can i just plug all decos to swith?
Also, if I have my decos in access point mode, do they automatically extend my original home wifi or they get a different name and password at initial setuo?
I have lots of devices and don't want to reconnect them.
12:10 do we only disable at&t home wifi if we set main deco as router or does it apply if we have them as access point?
Yes you can do router-switch-decos. It's shown at 9:23
The deco doesn't automatically extend the original home wifi, need to use the Deco app to setup the wifi. You can set it up with the same wifi name and password so you don't need to reconnect all the devices.
I disable the at&t home wifi to avoid potential interference between the att wifi and the deco wifi. It can be applied to either router mode or access point mode. But in reality, if it's a hassle for you, you don't need to do that. The interference should be minimal.
Wow, this is exactly what I needed. Setting up X60 with Att 1gb fiber today.
I'm glad that you found it helpful. Hope you enjoy the fast speed wifi set up soon.
@@randomhomegadgets Thanks, I set it up in router mode to try the coverage but also my ATT gateway is still broadcasting its own WiFi. I can't decide to disable/passthrough with ATT gateway and just use the mesh or use these are APs...?
I eventually just used the Deco as APs since that’s the least complicated set up :)
@@randomhomegadgets thanks, that’s what I may do as well. Would the old BWG210 be good enough to be the main router with this setup?
Also, when using deco as AP mode, must I disable the ATT WiFi or could I keep it on and have a “4th” device sending wifi signals.
Great explanation and visuals that is truly appreciated.
I have a specific question I wasn't able to find an answer online, wondering if you could give some insights....
My situation is that in the place I live, the room where the ISP gateway is located is not ideal to place a wireless router (because it has so many walls around it / it's in the laundry room), however most rooms in the house have wired connection, so my idea and where I would appreciate your feedback is that I was thinking of:
1- Use my old netgear router and connect it to the ISP gateway (and turn off wireless mode)
2- use the tp-link deco x86/AX3600 (or any other mesh system) in each room where there's wired connection (to the netgear router) and set them up in AP mode
(The assumption is that the ISP gateway can't be used in router mode, I'll need to verify this)
Ideally I would've used the main deco as the router, but the room where the gateway is in is just a terrible place to put a wireless router and I would like to have 3 APs around the house, hence why I'm thinking of using a netgear router in front of the 3 deco units.
I know this setup (using netgear router to front the deco units) pretty much kills the possibility of wireless backhaul (which I'm ok with).
That was a long message, hope it made sense, and again I appreciate any insights of how to do things better.
Does your ISP gateway have enough ports to directly wire all the deco units? if so, that would be the easier setup. If not, then what you are describing is trying to use your old Netgear router as a network switch. You should be able to disable the Netgear router's router function and wifi function then it makes it a network switch. So the ISP gateway is still the router, the Netgear router act as a switch, then all deco units as APs.
@@randomhomegadgets tyvm for the response, to answer your question I'm fairly sure the answer is that the ISP gateway only has one port and acts as the modem, the reason i was thinking of connecting the Netgear is because i thought that i still needed the router which i don't think (might be wrong here) the gateway is set up to do (will double check this).
I'll play with it and if the gateway also acts as the router then i can just put an unmanaged switch there instead of the Netgear, i think that would be even simpler.
But in the case that the gateway is strictly a modem, do you think there is an issue with putting the Netgear unit on front of the deco units?
Great video. I'm wanting to install a mesh network to my CenturyLink fiber optic gateway. I assume I can use either Deco Router mode wireless or Deco access point mode wireless.
Thanks for the comment :) yes you should able to use the Deco as router mode or access point mode. Just be aware of the double NAT
I'm glad I found your video. In my case, I only have a single Deco unit to use as an access point. Could you help me with the questions below?
1. Am I correct to think that an access point is just extending the coverage, thus all devices should be auto-connected to it if the signal is better?
2. I would like to have only one internet network with the same SSID and password as my existing network so I don't have to reconnect everything. My ATT gateway shows 2.4 and 5 Ghz channels. Which name should I change the Deco unit to? Or should I name both 2.4 and 5 Ghz channels under the same name as well as the Deco unit. Because the Deco should be able to direct each device to their compatible band?
3. Should I turn off the ATT network?
Thank you
The cleanest way to set it up would be turn of ATT gateway WiFi and name the Deco WiFi exactly the same as your previous WiFi. Another way to do it would be set up a 5G and a 2.4G WiFi separately in deco, but make sure to name it EXACTLY the same as the ATT gateway WiFi (including the annotation of 5G or 2.4G if it’s shown in the Wi-Fi name). In Deco you can set up one WiFi name with both 5G and 2.4G. Deco will automatically select the appropriate one to connect to your device. In Deco you can also set up a WiFi name with 5 G only or 2.4G only.
@@randomhomegadgets I have a Deco XE75 pro, which does not allow me to create 2 separate names for each band. I think I would have to create one name for both bandwidths on the Deco and manually reconnect all devices since I have them connected to each wifi from the ATT gateway. Thank you
Great video. Thanks. Just to make sure, if I’m using deco as access point then the AT&T gateway pass through should be OFF correct?
Yes, no need for pass through if the deco set as access point
@@randomhomegadgets thank you! And this would be the fastest correct based on your testing.
Yes, but make sure to use Ethernet backhaul
Great video! Quick q - I want to extend my wifi coverage upstairs in an old home. If I use the Ethernet backhaul, do I need to connect each deco device to Ethernet, or just the first device, and the others can be setup wirelessly? Trying to avoid having to run Ethernet cable upstairs if I can avoid it.
Yes you can set up like that, but only the fist deco would have the fastest speed, the rest of them set up wirelessly would have slower speed
Awesome. Thanks for help, but I have a question about this. If you do the IP Passthrough, do you also need to do the Access Point step? Or can you do just IP Passthrough step? The reason I ask is because Deco App is saying leave set in Router mode, in order to use the HomeShield feature.
Again awesome video, extremely helpful!
If you do the IP pass through, then just need to leave the Deco in router mode. Because the att gateway won’t perform router function anymore once you use ip pass through
@@randomhomegadgets good to know. Thanks again for your help. Truly both Deco and AT&T should just put links to your video on their products and websites. And pay you for giving better advice than them 😁
Thanks for the kind words :D
Hey there. Great explanations on your system and setups. I have question, though. How do you actually setup the ethernet backhaul? Did you plug in the ethernet cable all across the house from router unit to satellite unit?
Thanks for the comment. Yes, Ethernet backhaul means physically connecting the Ethernet cable to the satellite units. It may not be feasible for everyone depends on the physical layout of your home. In newer homes, usually there are prewired Ethernet outlets, which make it much easier to use Ethernet backhaul.
@@randomhomegadgets ah that makes sense. In Malaysia we still dont have full broadband coverage across the country, let alone having prewired Ethernet outlets even in new homes. Anyway, keep on sharing, my guy.
Dude! You are amazing! Thank you for this. Was super useful and helpful! Thank you!!
Thanks for the kind words. Glad it’s helpful for you :)
Thank you for your great video and specially explaining/Showing how to resolve the double Router issue.
I’m glad that you find this video useful :) Please share it with any of your friends/families who are planning to set up mesh wifi.
Hi there- thanks for the video. I dont think I have access to connecting ethernet backhaul for the secondary device, so I'm trying to decide between the router mode (with IP passthrough) v Access Point. It looks like the access point has slightly better connectivity for location 3, however which of the two methods do you think is easier/more reliable?
Also, for the last step around disabling the gateway wifi, is that only if we dont want to manually update the remaining devices? Seems like there are a lot of nuances that can affect security/ need for ethernet etc if we disable the wifi network.
Honestly the speed for the router mode and the access point mode are very similar if you use wireless back haul. I personally use the access point mode and let ATT gateway do its routing. Disabling the gateway wifi is to prevent interference with the Deco wifi in locations where they overlap. You don't have to disable the gatway wifi, just be aware that there may be minor delay when a device switching between the gateway wifi and the deco wifi.
This video told me everything i wanted to know. Thanks!
Glad that you find it useful:)
Thanks for the video. I'm going to connect two Decos by Wifi. Do I have to use the passthrough AND turn off Wifi? Or just turn off Wifi?
If you use the deco as the router, then should turn on ip pass through. You don’t have to turn off wifi but there might be interference. If you use the deco as access point, then don’t have to turn on the ip pass through.
Hello, thanks for a great visual explanation. I have a question regarding the connections: evidently, the first unit has to be hardwired to the modem, correct, but can you hook up the second unit via ethernet and the third unit via WiFi? Thanks!!
Hi Antonio, thanks for the comment. Yes the 1st unit (main deco) needs to be connected to the modem directly. The 2nd and 3rd units can be connected via ethernet cable or wifi. They can be mixed and matched, you can connect one to ethernet cable and the other one to wifi.
@@randomhomegadgets Not only yo take the time to make these amazing and informative videos, but also to answer any question your viewers may have... Mate, thank you!!
Really helpful! Thank you, saved a lot of time and headaches
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad that you find it useful :)
This vid should GO VIRAL!
I'm glad that you like it! I hope it go viral soon :P
Nice video, thanks for sharing!!
Do you know what Mesh Wi-Fi 6 routers can create multi VLANs?
I'm glad that you like the video. As far as I know, Deco series can only have one VLAN. If you want multiple VLAN, the Netgear Orbi would be a better choice for you: amzn.to/3JOuTBW
Excellent review/tutorial. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video this is great! If I use the main deco unit as an access point do I still need to change the wifi names and deactivate my at&t network or can I leave it as is
it seemed like I had to use the Deco as the main router so i turned the wifi off the at&t router. Deco wouldn't let me put the name of the deco router as the same as my home one so I wonder if that caused issues. I ended up changing my home router name to something else, changing the deco router to my original router name and then deactivated at&T router
If you use access point mode, you may leave the AT&T gateway Wi-Fi on with the same name and password
Yah if you use both Deco and the AT&T gateway as router, and both give out Wi-Fi with the same name, then can cause problem with both Wi-Fi network clashing each other.
I tried that and it didn't seem to work for some reason, maybe I had it connected to the wrong Ethernet slot on the router but the WiFi wasn't using the access points to increase the speed. As soon as I connected to the deco directly it seemed to work
If you are in an area with overlapping signal with the Deco and the AT&T router, one signal would be faster than the other. Initially the speed maybe unstable since your device may connect to the lower speed Wi-Fi. But give it about a day or so, the mesh system will figure out itself and connect your device to the faster speed Wi-Fi.
Backhaul will work perfect with a unnamed switch plugged it into the main router , however is better to plug just the switch first into the main deco , after plug second and reboot it , sometimes it doesn’t recognize the Ethernet so just unplug the AC power of the second unit and when is finished rebooting will appear connected as backhaul
Thanks for pointing it out. That's very helpful :)
When you connect the backhaul via Ethernet, are you connecting the cables to your central wire system in the house?
My house has prewired ethernet cables from one central location to all the rooms. If you don't have prewired cables, then need to run cables in between rooms to connect the Deco units.
Thank you!
This worked perfectly!
Thanks! I’m glad that it work well for you :)
really well done and thorough.
Thank you so much for the kind words :)
Awesome review. Very comprehensive.
Thank you for your kind comment :)
Based on your speed test, why would one ever use router mode over access point mode? If I have two separate areas in my home that I want to improve signal, I could just get 2 Deco units and use the Gateway as the router, vs getting 3 Deco units and using one in router mode, right? Hopefully my question makes sense. Very helpful video!
The benefits of using the Deco as router are features such as parental control, limit speed to certain device etc. To improve speed, the main factor is not router va access point mode. The main factor is Ethernet vs wireless backhaul. The Ethernet backhaul is much faster. To improve signal (more bars on the wireless icon), all you need is moving the Deco unit closer to the area you need.
@@randomhomegadgets do you need at least one Deco unit connecting via Ethernet to the Gateway? Thank you!
Yes, will need at least 1 Deco unit connecting to the Gateway via Ethernet.
Thanks for the video. I just picked up a similar mesh system at Costco to combat some Wi-Fi dead spots in our 3-level condo. My AT&T gateway is an older model than the one you showed and my Deco Mesh system is the AX5300. What I'm confused about though is whether I should set my AT&T gateway to router mode or access point mode. My set up as it exists right now is that I have the AT&T gateway on the 3rd floor in a data closet. It's connected to powerline adapters (TP-link) that supply an ethernet connection to a smart TV and Xbox console on the 2nd floor, and a desktop computer and 2nd Xbox console on the bottom level.
Ideally I'd like to keep my powerline adapters doing their thing and just use the mesh system to boost my Wi-Fi coverage on the 2nd and bottom floors. I don't see any other option than to use a wireless backhaul. I do have ethernet drops on the 2nd and bottom floors, but my understanding is that I would need to physically run a cable from the main deco unit which would be on the third floor down to the 2nd and bottom floors.
Also, do you know if disabling the Wi-Fi on the AT&T Gateway would interfere with the wireless set-top box I have for the TV on the 3rd floor bedroom? I think I read somewhere that the Wi-Fi signal for the U-Verse set top box is on a separate dedicated Wi-Fi channel.
Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi there, I think the best set up for you would be setting AT&T gateway to router mode, connect all the ethernet drops directly to the AT&T gateway (you may need to use a ethernet switch if you run out of ethernet port at the AT&T gateway, set all the Deco units as assess point mode, and directly connect the Deco units to the Ethernet drops. Check the set up diagram at 9:25.
As for the U verse TV receiver, I believe you need to connect it to a dedicated AT&T wireless assess point via it's own wifi, and that wireless assess point connects directly to the gateway with ethernet. So I turning off the wifi on the gateway itself should not interfere with the TV receiver.
@@randomhomegadgets thank you. So, if I understand this correctly, the deco units would be just boosting my already existing WIFi network? Or would this be a new network? I just want to avoid double NAT.
@@martyjay75 Yes, with the access point mode, the deco units would be just boosting your original wifi network, not making a new network.
@@randomhomegadgets Thanks so much. I'll give it a shot.
@@randomhomegadgets Alright, sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to screw this up. When I'm running through the TP Link App set up, I get to the part where it wants me to name and give a password for the network. Do I just do a temporary one for now, get it set up and THEN switch it to access point mode? Or do I give it the same name/password as my existing network straight from the get go? Also, since there are going to be 3 total deco units, do I add all three THEN switch them to access point mode, or add each one at time, switch modes, and move onto the next one? Or does that even matter?
Thank you for this video. I purchased the deco xe75 and tried connecting it to my AT&T fiber router but the speeds were not more than 200mbps. Without the Deco I am getting 400 or so. So I also tried using the Netgear ORBI RBK853 model but my max speeds were 300 mbps. I have a 1gbps fiber connection. I tried to reset the AT&T router to factory settings, turned off wi-fi, also tried out the pass-through option and setting the AP mode but nothing seems to work. Could you tell me what else I could be doing wrong here? Another interesting find. When I connect a regular wifi-ranger extender I get speeds around 500.
Hi Paresh, the Deco XE 75 should be able to support speed up to 5400mbps. I think the first step of trouble shooting is to connect only 1 Deco to the AT&T fiber gateway directly via Ethernet cable, set up a separate wifi, just use the default router mode, and test the speed. If the speed is low, then there's something wrong with either the Ethernet cable or the Deco.
Another consideration is that the Deco may need some extra time to "warm up" before it gets the best speed. So maybe try checking the speed half an hour after setting up.
Also make sure there's no unintended speed limit setting on the AT&A gateway or the Deco.
@@randomhomegadgets Thank you for the instructions. I did try some of those steps and still the same issue. I also tried the Netgear RBK853 which is supposedly even better but with both of these the speeds were the same. On checking the main network speeds, it does show as 1gbps but speeds over wifi is around 350mbps from the mesh wifi with just literally one device connected. I even went as far as literally unplugging every other IOT devices and had only one laptop connected to the mesh system network. Even troubleshooted with the At&t support and they were also surprised with this. Let me try to just have the mesh network run for a day and see if there is any improvements.
@paresh ravikumar heard from another vid that you should update firmware. Pls let me know if you figured out the issue. Getting the mesh system soon.
Can you leave the 2.4g ON for the AT&T router,,,, and use the Deco for 5G? (this assumes both bands have different names).
Yes you can definitely do that.
When the units are in AP mode, do they still understand how to communicate with each other for wireless backhaul? For example, could the unit in location 3 talk to the unit in location 2 or does it have to have a direct communication path back to unit in location 1?
Hi there, in AP mode, the units will still connect to each other via wireless backhaul. It will connect to the one that’s closest to make the mesh. So if unit 3 is closer to unit 2 than unit 1, it will connect to unit 2.
Can the back haul type of both secondary devices be different? 1 wireless and 1 Ethernet?
Yes, you may use 1 wireless 1 Ethernet.
I wish AT&T had those kind of speeds for internet where I live. I only have access to 10by1 DSL.
Thanks for the comment. The speed I got was from AT&T optical fiber, much better than DSL. Maybe check if you have cable provider such as Xfinity, or 5G internet from mobile phone providers.
I have a Deco M5 and the ATT BGW210. Will these same instructions work? My router is downstairs and my bedroom upstairs the speeds are awful. What would the best set up be? Deco in router mode wireless backhaul or Deco in access point mode wireless backhaul?
Do you have Ethernet cable for wired backhaul? That would be the best. If you do wireless backhaul. Either router mode or access point mode would be ok. Try to put one unit in between downstairs router and your bedroom, then put one more unit in your bedroom
I’m following your steps but with my Orbi mesh system. I plan to change the main Orbi from router to AP mode, but I’m curious about naming them the same (gateway and the Orbi mesh). Should I disable the wifi of the att gateway before changing the mesh name to match the original wifi and then turn the wifi back on?; or does the gateway wifi have to stay off in order for this setup to work?
Either way would be ok. You may disable the gateway Wi-Fi before or after changing the Orbi mesh Wi-Fi name to the same original name
Instead of connecting deco to At&t gateway , can I connect the gateway to a switch and then connect the main deci router in a room where I have cat5 drop in port?
Yes it will work. Just make sure to deal with the double NAT.
So you got the best speed using AT&T gateway as main router and the deco as hardwire access point? For this method you don't need to change the ip pass though?
Yes that’s the set up that I’m currently using. The speed is about the same when using Deco as the router and IP pass through.
@@randomhomegadgets after setting up the main as access point, do we need to setup the wifi as the original gateway wifi manually?
Yah you do need to manually set it up. In the Deco app you may setup the Wi-Fi with the same name and password with the original Wi-Fi from the AT&T gateway.
For method three, is the att modem still in pass through mode while the mesh device is in AP mode?
For the method 3. The ATT gateway is in router mode, not pass through. Basically you need one of the device to be a router, either the ATT gateway or the main Deco. If you set both of them in router mode, then you get the double NAT problem.
I’m gonna do the IP pass through for my ATT gateway. Do I turn off the WiFi before or after the Deco setup? And do I need to do the access point step where I set the deco’s to that or leave them at default as routers?
Set up the Deco as router mode first, turn on Deco wifi, then turn off the ATT gateway wifi.
@@randomhomegadgetssetup went fine but my secondary deco won’t recognize the Ethernet connection. I’m trying to connect some security cameras but I get no connection.
Could be problem with the Ethernet cable. Can try changing the cable. Otherwise can still use WiFi backhaul but would be slower
To have the same wifi name and password dor the whole system, the wifi at the gateway must be off as you said, and I have to plug in one deco by ethernet cable to the gateway to able to get the signal. Please confirm. And is there anyway to have the same wifi name and password without disable the wifi of the gateway
You may keep the ATT gateway wifi and use the same name in the Deco wifi. However when your device at is at the wifi range with both of them at the same time, there might be interference that affects the speed. You may try to keep both wifi open and check the speed. If there’s no major delay, then you don’t have to turn off the ATT gateway wifi
Even in IP passthrough mode you can still access the ATT gateway via WIFI. At least I can through my TP LINK router
Thanks for the comment. That’s good to know. Somehow I was not able to, maybe my setting was wrong. It’s good to prepare direct ethernet access to the ATT gateway just in case wifi doesn’t work.
For a 2 floor house, what is the best set up? AT&T router is on the first floor. However, the gaming room (PS5) is on the second floor. I don't have ethernet cables on the second floor. Would it be something like AT&T Router -> connect ethernet cable to main Deco (access point) -> connect secondary method via wifi. Is that good enough so that the PS5 can have an ethernet cable using the secondary Deco?
Yah that’s the only way since you don’t have Ethernet cable to the second floor. The speed really depends on how far away the main deco and the secondary deco. The closer the better
How is this working for you?
hello. i have 6 deco x50 poe and i want them all in wired backhaul. will isp router to switch to all decos works ? thank you
Yes. ISP router -> switch -> deco on access point mode
Thank you!!!!
I’m glad that you find it helpful :)
I finally got my tp links but have a question, I don't have any laptops with ethernet port so I will be cut off when turning of wifi as you said at the end but if I switch my settings on at&t to make deco into router to prevent double nat will it still give me wifi for me to be able to turn off my at&t wifi or will it still be turned off?
Technically you can still access the AT&T gateway setting by going to 192.168.1.254
Question for those who have this setup in 2024. My Internet Service Provider is Verizon Fios. I have their 5G Router. I wanted to know if I plan on getting the TP Link Deco shown in this video. Do I still have to pay for my Fios Router? I guess what I'm asking is if this is a replacement for your router, or is this Mesh network setup is suppose to work WITH your current Router.
The Verizon 5G router has the combine function of receiving 5G cellular signal to get internet, and the router function of routing internet connection to different devices. The Deco is just a router and mesh network, but cannot receive 5G cellular signal. So you will still need to use the Verizon 5G router, you can add the Deco to make a mesh network.
I did the access point mode and finally everything once again is showing connected to my AT&T router rather than my decos. However, I’m using AT&T’s VPN option and it doesn’t seem to be working to mask the IP of the chosen devices. When I activate VPN on certain devices and then go to the WhatisMYIP internet page, it still shows my home IP address. Is there a reason this is happening? How do I get the AT&T VPN to work?
It shouldn’t be the problem of the deco units since they are just acting as access point. The actual IP assigning/masking is still from your AT&T router. Try to plug a device directly to the AT&T router and see if the VPN works.
So where can I find the TP-Link Deco X68 3-Pack...?
The Deco X68 3 pack is sold in Costco. It’s out of stock right now but will show up when it’s back. There a newer version currently on Costco: www.costco.com/tp-link-deco-axe5300-wi-fi-6e-tri-band-whole-home-mesh-wi-fi-system%2c-3-pack.product.100847833.html
I have a main , secondary & third deco. I wanted to change to access point mode. From Router Setting-> Advanced ->Operation Mode. I changed to access point mode. How do I know changes have been made to the Main Deco instead of secondary or third Deco? It will automatically search for the main Deco & make necessary changes itself? Or the changes applies for all 3 Deco instead of only one (Main Deco) Thanks.
That’s a great question. Yes, the Deco app will only change the main Deco unit to access point mode. Technically speaking, when the main Deco unit is at router mode, the secondary and third Deco units are by default already set to access point mode. So when you change the main Deco unit to access point mode, the other Deco units don’t need to change at all.
Thank you
For method 3 where the Deco is in AP mode, if I still want to have the same wifi SSID?PW as my main gateway router, can I name them the same without having to create a separate SSID/PW for the Deco units because AP mode effecitvely disables the double nat from happening?
Currently, my AP mode deco that is connected with the gateway has different SSID/PW, but I want them to handoff to one another if possible?
You can use the same SSID/PW. It won't cause the double NAT issue. But I would suggest that once you change the Deco SSID/PW to the same one as your gateway router, then disable the gateway router's wifi. Sometimes your devices (such as your phone) may get confused when there's 2 of the same SSID and don't know which one to connect to.
So by using this wifi mesh, am I still utilizing ATT's Fiber network and essentially just boosting the wifi coverage?
Yes, you are still using ATT’s internet service, the mesh network boosts the Wi-Fi coverage to cover your entire house.
Follow up question, if I am using method 3 and using the first Deco as the access point, do I still need to have my ATT Gateway in IP pass through mode?
Also, do I need to turn off the gateway WiFi if I am using method 3 and using the first Unit in Access Point mode?
Since you are using Deco as access point, then no need to use IP pass through
You don’t have to turn off the gateway Wi-Fi, but if you leave it on, sometimes it might have interference with the Wi-Fi signal from Deco
What should I use If I can have two hardwired but not the third?
You can still do hardwire for the 2 you can, and let the 3rd one use wireless backhaul
So I did end up getting the xe75pro 3 pack this past weekend, my speeds around the house on wifi have improved. My only concern is my wiring set up, so I have the main fiber connection coming into the att bgw320, previously I had two att wifi 6 extenders I have one cat 6 line running from the 320 to another room in my home where I have a switch. I want to use over a gig speeds but im having a hard time as atts gateway only has one 10 gig port which I have going into the main deco 2.5gig port but my only issue is I still have a ethernet run into my other room where I want the secondary deco but I would have to use the 1 gig port when I need over a gig so in AP mode could I put a switch between the 320 and main deco but have my secondary deco hardwired into the same switch and the third deco will link up to the secondary hardwired deco. Would this work? I would like to know beforr buying a 2.5 switch. I would also use another 2.5 switch before the second deco
Yes it will work. You can mix and match the deco units, one can be directly connected to ATT gateway, the other can be go behind a switch
So if I'm going to connect my console up via ethernet. Would I need to set one of thr sub deco as eth back heal? Or Is that just for connecting to the main deco unit?
You may connect your console to either the sub deco or the main deco. Both would work.
But to ensure fast speed, make sure the deco you connected to has Ethernet back haul
@Random Home Gadgets unfortunately that won't be an option. I can only do wireless backhaul. That's why I'm getting these for the ability to do wireless through the house. From your test I see it might be best for me to use router mode rather that AP mode?
where is the fiber connection to tplink part?
The optical fiber goes into the ATT gateway, then use a Ethernet cable to connect the ATT gateway to TP link Deco
@@randomhomegadgets but why!? providers around the globe installing their routers able to do both and then I have to decide whether I should use their router's wifi or connect my own router to make two levels network and having lots of problems with port forwarding and making my Nas to be available through all those gateways
It’s about WiFi range, the ISP gateway/router has its own WiFi but may not be able to cover all the rooms in your house. So to improve the Wi-Fi coverage you can either add WiFi extenders or set up a mesh network
The music In the background was driving me crazy had to mute it.
You may mute the sound and turn on the captions.
Sorry could not listen to the background music.
Can mute it and turn on the captions
Stop the loud music